Cristi Burkeen has been a professional violist and violinist for more than 20 years, and has been teaching private lessons for the last six. She believes that, “Music is a privilege; a gift, and one of our most basic senses. It lives inside all of us and we must have courage to unlock the nature of harmony and sound within us”. She graduated from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Viola performance.

Cristi has a knack for meeting students (ages 3-75) on their own terms - fashioning her lessons to the individual’s learning style. She teaches beginner to advanced levels of violin and viola, and beginner to intermediate bluegrass and Irish fiddling. Her concentrations include; Note reading, theory, technique, posture and relaxation (infusing some elements of Alexander Technique), rhythm, intonation, ear-training, and 3-octave scale study. Her pedagogical strengths include orchestral, string duo, trio and quartet or other chamber ensemble, and solo performance in various styles of music from Classical to Pop, Rock, and Fiddle.